


Dancing with Danger

by Emmalyne_Amell



Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Rough Sex, Smut, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-08
Updated: 2017-04-08
Packaged: 2018-10-16 06:58:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10566024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmalyne_Amell/pseuds/Emmalyne_Amell
Summary: After his failed assassination attempt, Reyes Vidal thought he had escaped from Kadara scot-free.  That is, until Emily Ryder shows up at his doorstep.  She is beautiful, she is armed, and she is pissed!Of course, I do not own Mass Effect.  Please don't sue me.





	

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING! HUGE HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED/FINISHED MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA!!!
> 
> In my first Andromeda playthrough, I was totally enamored with Reyes, even though I wasn't romancing him. When the big showdown happened between Reyes and Sloane, I couldn't bring myself to let him kill her, but I couldn't bring myself to kill him, either. 
> 
> So that's how this story came about.

  
The sun beat down mercilessly as a four-wheeled ATV sped across the desert sands of Elaaden.  The rider’s face and head were covered by a helmet, which was thankfully equipped with a built-in cooling system.  This area of the planet was a wasteland, with no sign of civilization in sight- except for one small homestead, tucked away on the side of a mountain.  This was the rider’s destination.

The ATV made its way up the steep hill, then parked just outside of the small structure.  It had once been a station belonging to the Initiative, a science lab used for geological survey.  Now abandoned, it made a decent shelter, especially for someone who preferred privacy; or, to be more precise, sanctuary.  

The rider dismounted the vehicle, then removed his helmet to reveal the face of Reyes Vidal.  His golden eyes squinted in the sunlight.  

_Ah, yes, Elaaden certainly has its charms.  Enormous sinkholes, a giant, carnivorous worm, blistering heat… not to mention the oh-so-friendly Krogan._

Though the various quirks of the vast desert planet had provided him with the perfect place to hide out, Reyes had to admit that he missed Kadara Port. More than he ever thought he would.   

It had been nearly three months since he’d left Kadara.  The weeks following he’d hopped from place to place, using his Collective contacts to stay off of the Initiative’s and Sloane’s radar.  Eventually he’d settled here on Elaaden, after one of his contacts had found this abandoned station for him.  He’d been here for six weeks now, and though it wasn’t exactly “home sweet home,” it was a safe enough haven, for now.  He went to Paradise for supplies once a week, stayed far away from the Krogan colony, and adopted one of his false identities so as not to arouse suspicion.       

Carefully, Reyes unloaded a container of supplies from the back of the ATV- provisions he’d purchased from Paradise.  Then he carried the heavy load up to his most recent abode, entering the code to unlock the door.  

The place held only bare essentials: basic appliances, a few pieces of furniture- nothing decorative or sentimental.  It was more practical this way; in the off chance that Reyes had to leave suddenly, there would be nothing valuable left behind.  

Not that he didn’t indulge in a few comforts now and then.  Once inside, Reyes immediately set down the supply container and opened it up.  A wide smile lit up his face as he removed a heavy glass bottle which sat on top of the supplies.  The liquor was Angaran-made, and tasted very similar to the sake of Earth (though twice as powerful, and with a slight aftertaste of wet dog, but that was easily forgiven).  

Reyes took the bottle into the main room, which was just large enough to hold a barely-held-together sofa, a small bookshelf, and an empty shipping container for a coffee table.  An empty glass sat on the container, and Reyes poured just a splash of the clear liquid alcohol into the bottom.  Then he set the bottle down, took up the glass, and raised it to his lips.  

“Reyes Vidal.”

He paused mid-sip at the sound behind him.  _That voice… no, it can’t be!_  

But Reyes knew it was her, knew he would never forget that voice.  Forcing on a mask of stoicism despite his shock, he finished the drink, then set down the glass and turned around.

Pathfinder Emily Ryder sat in a chair next to the kitchen table, her expression unreadable.  She looked good- no, more than good.  She was as beautiful as she ever was, with her dark chocolate brown hair cropped in a no-nonsense pixie cut, wearing a brown leather jacket and a dark tank top beneath.  Her hazel eyes were fixed on him, their normal warmth and humor replaced by a cold indifference.  

“Ryder,” Reyes greeted her, keeping his tone even.  “This is a surprise.  How did you find me?”  

A wry smile twisted Ryder’s lips.  “I’m the Pathfinder, remember?  It’s what I do.”  She stood up slowly and took a few steps forward.  “Although, if you really want to know… one of your people sold you out.  It seems that the Charlatan name doesn’t command as much respect as it once did.”  

Reyes sighed heavily.  “Loyalty is a rare thing these days.”

Ryder shrugged.  “In their defense, I threatened to have Drack tear their arms off.”

Reyes chuckled.  “That would do it.” 

Then there was silence.  It may have lasted only a moment, but it seemed the longest moment in the history of Andromeda.  Finally, Reyes broke it by asking, “Why are you here, Ryder?”

Her mouth was a straight line, and her eyes were hooded.  “I need answers, Reyes.”

He nodded slowly.  It was no surprise.  The last time he’d seen Ryder had been in a cave on Kadara.  It had been quite the shock seeing her with Sloane- that part of the plan, he had not anticipated.  Nor had he expected Ryder to actually save Sloane from the sniper’s bullet.  And he could only imagine Ryder’s thoughts upon discovering that he had been the Charlatan all along.  It was a mystery why she hadn’t shot him in the back during his escape.      

Still, where to begin?  For now, he decided to be coy.     

“Perhaps if I knew the question…”  He took a step forward, towards her.

Ryder’s hand moved so quickly that Reyes could barely see it, and the next thing he knew there was a pistol aimed at his head.  

“Don’t move!” Ryder commanded.  

Reyes froze.  If he was surprised before, it was nothing compared to the shock he felt now, staring down the barrel of a Carnifex pistol held in Ryder’s hand.  

_What the hell is she doing?_

****************************  
  
_What the hell am I doing?_

This was not at all what Emily had planned.  It had taken months to find Vidal, using all the channels she could think of to locate his whereabouts.  All she’d wanted was an explanation, and, perhaps, closure.  But suddenly her emotions were boiling over, and she’d reached for her gun without even thinking.  

Ryder was a practical person, prizing logic above all else, believing feelings could only get a person into trouble.  And yet here she was, a massive bundle of anger, hurt, and humiliation, pointing a gun on the man that she thought… well, she didn’t really know what she thought Reyes had been to her, or what she believed herself to be to him.

 _This is stupid!  Put the gun down!_  

On the other hand, Emily needed Reyes to know that _she_ was the one in control.  That she would no longer be manipulated, and she was not a pawn of his grand scheme.  So she kept the gun aimed at him, struggling to steady her shaking hand.  

“Like I said,” Emily stated, barely able to keep her voice from wavering, “I need answers.”  

She was pleased to see that Reyes seemed genuinely shook, his normally cool expression now one of uncertainty.  But the moment quickly passed, and he was suddenly back to his confident self. 

“You’re not going to shoot me, Ryder.”  

He moved forward a step.  Ryder pulled the trigger.

The sound of gunfire was quickly followed by shattering glass.  Reyes jumped back, then looked down at the broken bottle on the table, as the alcohol pooled over it and onto the floor.  His head turned and he gave Ryder an irritated look.  

“That bottle cost me eight hundred credits!”

“Well, now it’s in eight hundred pieces,” Emily replied, smirking.  

Reyes closed his eyes and took a deep, steadying breath.  “Look, Emily, you have every right to be angry-“

“It’s _Pathfinder_.  And you’re goddamn right I’m angry.”

“If you’d just give me a chance to explain-“

Again, Ryder interrupted him, her tone and expression thoughtful.  “You know, I can understand using me to help you get rid of the Outcasts.  I even get that you used me to try and overthrow Sloane.  But there is one thing that I just don’t understand.”  

Emily gave Reyes a long, hard stare.  She’d hoped to be intimidating, but she knew that the hurt she felt shone in her eyes, and she fought back the sting of tears.    

“Why attempt to seduce me?" she said finally.  “Why make me believe that you actually cared about me?”

Her voice became suddenly quiet with those words, as she struggled to keep her tone even.  Her fingers adjusted slightly on the pistol, becoming cramped, as she waited for Reyes’s reply.  Still, she would not lower the gun.  

Then Ryder’s anger rose up once more, as Reyes had the nerve to appear affronted.  “ _I_ seduced _you_?  As I recall, _you_ were the one to initiate the first kiss.”

“That wasn’t a real kiss, Reyes, and you know it!  That was to save your sorry ass from getting caught for stealing.”

“Is that right?  Look, Ryder, you said you had questions, but all I’m hearing are accusations, and to be honest, it’s really starting to piss me off.”  

Emily laughed, but there was no humor in it.  “You think _you’re_ pissed?  You’re the _Charlatan_!  You _lied_ to me!”

Reyes ran a hand anxiously through his dark hair.  “I was going to tell you, after I took Kadara Port from Sloane.  I didn’t want you to get involved.”

“I was already involved!  I was trying to establish peace between the exiles and the Nexus, but your pointless war between the Collective and the Outcasts made that impossible.”

“It wasn’t pointless,” Reyes shot back.  “Sloane is a tyrant.  All she cares about is power, and ruling with fear.  I wanted to actually help those people.”

Emily made a point of rolling her eyes in an exaggerated fashion.  “Oh, please!  Like the Charlatan would run Kadara any differently.  Your hands are as bloody as hers, only worse, because you rule from the shadows and get the Collective to do the dirty work for you!”

Reyes’s lips drew back from his teeth in an angry snarl.  “You have no idea what you’re saying.”

Ryder’s one eyebrow arched, secretly glad that she was egging him on.  “Oh, really?  You told me once that you came to Andromeda to ‘be somebody.’  Was that somebody a devious, greedy bastard?  If so, congratulations- you made it, Vidal!”

That was the breaking point.  Reyes reached Emily in two lightning-quick strides, then he grabbed her wrist and twisted it in an awkward angle.  She cried out in pain, forced to drop the pistol, but she managed to get him with a left hook square in the jaw.  Then she lifted her right foot, aiming a side kick for his chest, but Reyes was too fast, grabbing her leg and yanking Ryder off her feet.

She fell back, her head landing on the floor with a _crack!_ , and for a moment Emily saw stars.  Before she could recover, Reyes had straddled her waist, pinning her arms down above her head by the wrists.  His face loomed over hers, and though she struggled, Emily couldn’t break his iron-clad hold.  

Then she stopped fighting.  Emily glared up at Reyes, hating his stupid, handsome face, his mesmerizing golden eyes.  For a moment her eyes flashed to his lips, and the memory of their softness on hers struck her so hard that it was almost like she was tasting them again.  

 _She wanted to taste them again._  

As the thought came unbidden to her mind, Reyes suddenly lowered his head and crushed his lips to hers.  Emily’s whole body froze before shattering into a million pieces.  His mouth felt and tasted even better than she’d remembered.  She knew she should fight, that she should be furious, but instead she opened her mouth and tilted her head to allow him better access.  

This kiss was different than the ones they’d shared before; Reyes’s mouth was hungry, commanding.  He didn’t just kiss her- he _devoured_ her, his intruding tongue twisting with her own, and Emily could not hold back her moan of pleasure when Reyes sucked her bottom lip between his teeth.

It was as though everything that had happened in the last few minutes was a distant memory.  Both of them were fueled by passion mixed with anger- a potent combination.  Frantically, Reyes released his grip from Ryder’s wrists and set to work removing her clothing.  When he had her stripped down to her bra and underwear, Reyes stopped only so that he could kiss her again, then let out a feral growl before he began taking off his own clothes- with Ryder’s assistance.    

Finally, Reyes broke the kiss and quickly removed Ryder’s bra to free her breasts.  He spared only a moment to take in their size, their shape, how soft they felt in his hands, before lowering his head and taking one of her nipples into his mouth.  Emily moaned in approval, then gasped as Reyes flicked his tongue against the hardened point.  She sighed and ran her fingers through his dark hair, which was surprisingly soft.  Then his mouth moved to the opposite breast, suckling her as though starving, and Emily closed her eyes and groaned.  

Reyes had not known a person could taste, and feel, so damn good.  The way Emily squirmed at his touch, the beautiful gasps and moans that came out of her lips- his cock was so hard just from pleasuring her that he didn’t know how much longer he could put off his own satisfaction.  But he was a patient man, and he wanted to be sure that Ryder was ready- more than ready, nearly to the point of desperation- before taking her fully. 

Eager to taste him again, Emily took Reyes’s head in her hands and pulled him upward for another kiss.  After tasting him thoroughly, her tongue traced his bottom lip, then Ryder’s mouth trailed downward, as she licked and nibbled at his neck.  She took some of his flesh between her teeth and sucked, emitting a cry from him, taking pride in the fact that she most likely left a mark.  Her hands moved to his shoulders, broad and strong, then her fingernails traced a trail down his naked back.  She could feel scars there, and mentally noted that she would have to ask about them later.

Reyes was now nuzzling her neck, and Emily flicked her tongue against his earlobe before sucking it between her teeth.  His hand, which had been toying with her breast, moved lower, skimming her bare stomach, until he found the waistband of her panties.  His fingers slipped beneath the fabric, and Emily braced herself as they dove between her folds and found her core.      

She cried out, moaning as Reyes’s fingers slid against her wetness, then he found her clit and she gasped.  Reyes expertly flicked his fingertip against the nub- gentle, yet firm.  Emily squirmed against him involuntarily, bucking against his hand as she bit her lip to try and hold back her cries, but not succeeding.  Then two of his fingers entered her, sliding in and out of her slick tunnel, steadily increasing their pace as she moaned and tossed back her head.    

To get even, she reached down and grabbed the bulge inside Reyes’s briefs.  Reyes let out a groan as her hand moved over him, stroking him through the fabric, then squeezing gently.  Praying that her message had come across, Emily frantically pulled at the elastic band, struggling to move the underwear down over his hips.  Reyes obliged, assisting her in removing the briefs completely, then he moved to pull her damp panties down over her legs and off, tossing them aside.   

Their bodies seemed to be humming with electricity, and Reyes wasted no more time.  He took his cock in his hand, stroking the tip against Ryder briefly before slowly entering her.  They both groaned with satisfaction as Reyes slid all the way into her, up to the hilt, then drew out slightly and back in again.  He started out slowly, pacing himself, but Emily was growing impatient, and she grabbed him by the ass and guided him to move faster.  Reyes obliged, quickening his pace as he thrust into her over and over, moaning at the feel of her.  Her tightness enveloped his cock, squeezing him, and he marveled at how amazing she felt, how amazing she was.  He suddenly realized how much he’d missed her since last seeing her on Kadara, and how much he regretted leaving her behind.    

Emily cried out as Reyes’s cock rammed into her, moving steadily harder and faster.  _God_ , he felt so good inside her, and it had been far too long since she’d felt like this… six hundred and thirty years, give or take.  Even then, Emily wasn’t sure she’d ever experienced anything like this.  Reyes was so sexy, so confident, to the point of irritation- it was hard to believe he would want someone like her.  Yet here they were, and though a part of her knew it was wrong, knew that she might regret it later- right now, it was worth it.  

Ryder could feel herself about to come, and her cries grew louder.  Reyes seemed to sense that she was on the edge, and he changed his position slightly, propping himself up onto his knees as he straddled Ryder’s legs over his shoulders, then moved his hands to her hips.  He grunted like an animal as he pumped roughly into her, and just as he thought he was about to keel over from exhaustion, Emily came, her head thrown back, shouting out at the top of her lungs.  Reyes soon followed, crying out loudly as he released himself inside of her with a shudder.  

Both of them collapsed into a sweating, panting heap on the floor.  They laid there together, unmoving, as the minutes passed for what seemed an eternity.  Finally, Emily broke the silence, licking her lips before she spoke.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly.

Slowly, Reyes lifted his head to look into her eyes.  “For what?”

“For those things I said.  About you using me.  And about you being the same as Sloane.  I know it’s not true.  I was just so… angry.  And hurt.”

Reyes felt a pang of shame.  “I know.  I’m sorry, too.  I should have been honest with you.  I really do care about you, Emily.”  

There was another long pause.  Then Ryder said, “Reyes?”  
  
“Yes?”

“I think I might be lying on some of that broken glass.”    
  
“Shit!”

Reyes bolted upright, and assisted Emily to her feet.  He turned her around and carefully examined her backside.  Sure enough, there were streaks of blood on her rear end and the backs of her thighs.  There was no real damage, thank goodness, but still he rushed to the bathroom to grab a towel, wetting it first under the faucet.  Then he returned to Ryder and gently cleaned up her wounds, wiping up the blood and dabbing at the small cuts.   

“Are you all right?” Reyes asked.

“I’m fine.  I’ve had worse battle scars.”

Reyes chuckled.  “Well, I would hate to be the one adding to them.”

Emily placed a hand gently on his left jaw.  “Yeah, well, I got one in, too, at least.  Looks like you’re going to have a bruise there.”

He grinned.  “It seems our having sex seems to be quite hazardous to both of us.”

“Nah, maybe just… no more doing it on the floor.  At least not one covered with broken glass.  And no more pissing me off.”

“Well, if we’re making demands, how about no more pointing a gun at my head?”  

Emily made a show of thinking it over.  “Yeah, all right.  I guess.” 

Tossing the towel aside, Reyes took her face in his hands, then placed a gentle kiss on Emily’s forehead.  She closed her eyes and took a moment to breath in his scent- a mix of smoke, sex, and manly musk.  On instinct, she leaned forward and put her lips on his collar bone, placing a series of gentle kisses all the way across.  Reyes hummed softly with approval, cradling the back of her head and stroking his fingers through her hair.  

“Do you have a bedroom?” Ryder asked, her breath whispering against Reyes’s naked chest.  

Reyes’s eyebrow raised.  “Yes.  Or, rather, a room with a cot that’s in fairly decent shape.”

“Can we…?”

Reyes chuckled, then sighed softly as Emily’s fingers traced a line down his stomach, lingering at his pelvis.  “Are you sure?” he asked coyly.  “We are suffering from present injuries.  It might be dangerous.”  

His false protest was cut off abruptly with a groan, as Emily’s hand cradled his swelling erection.  Emily moved her mouth from Reyes’s chest to whisper in his ear.

“I could use a little danger.”  


**Author's Note:**

> Confession:
> 
> Okay, here's the thing. After putting this story out of my mind a bit and then coming back to it, I had a realization- I am sooo unhappy with it. I basically had to push and force my way through muddy waters to get it finished, because I wanted to post something new and get out of my writer's block, but it just wasn't worth it. Emily and Reyes deserve better.
> 
> So, just a heads up: I will eventually come back to this and do a total rewrite. I may even just delete this story altogether and start from scratch. I have other projects I'm working on right now, but hopefully one of these days I'll come back to this ship.


End file.
